INDUSTRY REPORT: Addressing the Court Reporter Shortage – Why Digital Reporting Is a Necessary Evolution - Published by The Brand Consultancy | Sponsored by AAERT
- Shaylah Kiser
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
INDUSTRY REPORT: Addressing the Court Reporter Shortage – Why Digital Reporting Is a Necessary Evolution
Published by The Brand Consultancy | Sponsored by AAERT
The 2025 Court Reporting Industry Trends Report is a landmark publication that outlines one of the legal system’s most urgent problems: a crippling shortage of stenographers—and what we must do about it.
Drawing on input from over 550 legal professionals and 27 industry leaders, this report dives deep into the stenographer crisis, which has been brewing for over a decade due to mass retirements, school closures, and declining enrollment. It reveals how this shortage is impacting case scheduling, transcript delivery, and even access to justice. But the report doesn’t just sound the alarm—it presents a way forward.
Digital court reporting emerges as the solution—not just as a patch, but as a proven, professional pathway forward. With proper training, certification, and quality control, digital reporters are delivering the same standard of accuracy, with greater speed and availability, making them indispensable in today's legal ecosystem.
🟣 SHAYLAH’S INSIGHT:
As a certified digital court reporter and Board Member of AAERT, speaking individually, I see this moment as our industry’s crossroads—and a call to courage. Yes, the stenographer shortage is real. But here's the revelation: we've seen this before in other professions.
Think about how the medical field embraced telehealth—initially met with resistance, now celebrated for its access and efficiency. It didn’t replace doctors. It expanded their reach. It was a compromise between tradition and technology—and it worked.
Digital court reporting is that same kind of compromise. It doesn't erase the past—it builds on it. We're preserving the sacred duty of accurate, impartial records, while using modern tools to meet modern demand. And make no mistake: digital reporters are not recorders—we are record makers.
This report proves it:
✅ Accuracy? On point.
✅ Timeliness? Game-changer.
✅ Scalability? Absolutely.
Source: 2025 Court Reporting Industry Trends Report. Published by The Brand Consultancy. Sponsored by the American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers (AAERT).
It’s time to evolve—and elevate.
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